A Day in my Life

I love my job as a preschool teacher / director.  It cracks me up, I certainly don't do it for the money. Those kids are a real hoot and some of the things that come out of their mouths is priceless.
In honor of this being the Week of The Young Child I am devoting an entry to "a day in the life of a preschool teacher"

Arrive to school at 6:45 to set up the classroom and put out fires that may have started the night before (read; troubles)
7:00am Answer e-mails, fix snack and pour myself a big ol' Diet Coke to get through the day!
7:30am Open the doors - Bring on the kids!
From 7:30-9:30 The children play and can choose whatever activities they would like to do, or they can eat snack.  I check in with parents, help with activities and usually find myself hovering around the bathroom saying things like "Watch your penis!", "Aim for the water!" and "Did you wipe?".  I bet you don't say ANY of those in your job!
At 9:30 we begin the circle times, this is my favorite part of the day.  I love singing with children.  Today we had planned a field trip to walk to the grocery store that has a little Fruit and Veggie show thing and then the children would buy one piece of fruit and we would make an Ambrosia Salad when we returned to school.
During circle time I had to cover the following rules, rules that after years of field trips we have learned to state.
1. Stay with your teacher / partner - We use the "teachers are the bread and children are the peanut butter scenario"
2. No stepping on "un-pretty" flowers - this causes them to be so distracted!
3. Keep your clothes and shoes on your body.
4. If your partners hand is "sweaty and icky" you may hold their wrist.
5. Teachers have Kleenex if you need to pick your nose, please do not pick your nose while holding your friends hand

10:00 After everyone pees and finds their partner off we go!  I have the privilege of holding one child's hand and leading the pack.  Because I can't see, but only hear the conversations behind me, I begin laughing at what I hear.  The walk to the grocery store is about a 10 minute walk for a grown up.  For four teachers and 19 children it takes almost 40 minutes.
On the way I hear the following snippets as children talk about....anything.
       "I see a cigarette!! It's SOOOOO Nasty!"
       "What's Nasty?"
       "Oh that dog is HUGE!" Becky did you see it?  It was HUGE HUGE!
       "Are we there yet?"
       "My Dad slept on the couch last night"
       "My Dad sleeps on the couch every night"
       "AN ANT!!!"
At this point I turn around to say - "Please watch out for the man on the ladder, do not touch him, or his ladder"
        "Why not can we touch him?"
       "Hey guy why do you have a ladder?"         
        "Why can't we touch a ladder?  Are ladders bad?"
        "Are we there yet?"
        "An ice cream store!"
        "No, it's frozen yogurt"
        "Teacher BeEEECKY! That's Ice cream right?"  She says it's yogurt!"
        "When are we gonna get there?"

Finally we arrive to see the fruits and vegetable's sing!  We are excited to learn about healthy food choices.  I have noticed these singing fruits and vegetables before and just assumed they would sing about food right?  They are in a barn, along with a cow, a farmer and chickens.  I see people plant their kids in front of this scene while they shop and it lasts about five minutes.  I have not ever listened.
Lesson learned.
We planted the children in front of the "show" and prepped them to hear about all the wonderful food they could eat.  I pressed the button and the show began.  A five minute show that was written in rap form and about saying No to Drugs!
Seriously??  Obviously it was made in the 80's!
Well, we get our fruit and back to school we go....by now the children are tired and there isn't much conversation going on except for;
         "My feet are KILLING me!"
          "Can we take a bus?"
          "Can you carry me?"
          "I'm tired!"
And those same things over and over all the way back to school.  The child who keeps saying his feet are KILLING him is holding my hand.  I say "you sound like a complaining old man!"...his response..."well, I am almost 6!"
By the time we get back to school it's almost time for lunch.  I hurry to make a fruit salad and set up lunch.
Lunch is served family style, I spend the time convincing the children at my table that one bite of carrot will not kill them or make them vomit.  I also work very hard to make sure no one spills their milk, it is my goal to get through one lunch time where no one spills their milk.......it has never happened.
1:00pm after another round of "watch your penis so the pee will go in the toilet"and then it's naptime......AHHHHHH
Such angels when they are sleeping.
I spend the afternoon in the office working on paperwork and trying not to eat whatever is being prepared for afternoon snack.
Children are awesome, funny little creatures.  Spend some time with one this week and celebrate them!
Happy Week of The Young Child!!!